I became a fan when he was featured on the Oprah show. This month he's got a feature tear-out mini booklet in the O Magazine. I wanted to share some tips with all of you so that you can experience optimal health and live a long life.
Here are my personal favorites of his many tips, that I have been living by for years, and they work! These are his tips which I've paraphrased below.
REDUCE STRESS
1. Show Up 5 Minutes Early- Don't you just hate that feeling of rushing around when you're late, glancing at your watch every 15 seconds as you sit in traffic frustrated that you just aren't moving. You can change this by giving yourself extra time to get wherever you need to be. Arriving early will help you avoid stress and panic and give you a feeling of control again over your day and each situation.
2. Take More Restroom Breaks- Where is the one place that nobody will bother you? The restroom! If you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, sneak away for a five-minute de-stress and meditation break. Inhaling deeply and focusing on your breathing are key. You'll return in a calmer and often more productive state.
I personally used to do this at my old job where I worked from 8am-6pm as an Account Manager for a software company and it really helped. If I got really bad news or was having a frustrating day, it was also a good place to occasionally escape and pull myself together to get back out there and concentrate.
KEEP YOUR BRAIN SHARP
3. Sign up for Dance Lessons- Exercise boosts the brain's regeneration of new brain cells throughout life. One great workout is dance. By moving your body and staying co-ordinated along with following complex movements all while keeping in sync with music requires a lot of brainpower. Dancing works your heart too so you'll be pumping more blood to it while you cha cha cha.
4. Choose Red Wine Over White- Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that appears to prevent plaque buildup. Brain plaques are often seen in Alzheimer's patients which breakdown the communication between neurons. If you do not drink alcohol, you can also take a resveratrol supplement nstead.
SAVE YOUR HEART
5. Floss and Brush Daily-Any chronic infections (which include gingivitis) stimulate our body to protect against bleeding by increasing clotting. This is a recipe for a heart attack!
At our house we are big flossers, I really enjoy it. Call me weird but I love how clean and fresh my teeth look and feel afterwards. Did you know that flossing also instantly makes your teeth look whiter? It's true. It also makes your breath fresher without rotting food jammed in between. My mom used to lay my head in her lap as a young child and floss my teeth every night. I plan to do the same with my kids and teach them the importance of good dental health.
6. Get at Least 7 Hours of Sleep- Women need a minimum of 7 hours and men (the needier breed) actually need eight. Getting less than the recommended amount can actually lead to metabolic changes that increase your risk for obesity and diabetes. A University of Chicago study found that the reduced sleep hours catch up by depositing calcium in the arteries.
IMPROVE YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH
7. Stop Wearing Shoes Indoors- Think your shoes only track in dirt? Think again. Shoes also track in countless germs, pesticides, toxins, animal waste and allergens. A University of Arizona study discovered that the outsides of shoes contain an average of 421,000 bacteria! It's best to take them off at the door.
If I had just one health message from Oz's list to live by, it would be this! Growing up in Canada, wearing shoes inside the home is NOT the norm and is actually considered to be rude and disrespectful inside someone else's home. It is actually one of my pet peeves now that I live in the U.S where many wear shoes indoors. We have a no-shoes policy in our home as do some of my friends who grew up North of Florida where boots and slush force you to leave them at the door. When guests come over they can use our freshly washed pairs of slippers or go barefoot. Both my husband and I have a designated pair of inexpensive slippers and flip flops to use indoors only but 99% of the time we're barefoot. Not only does it save our wood floors from being scratched but it helps cut down on the amount of cleaning too. It also happens to allow your feet to breathe and stay dry which is necessary so feet don't have the potential for fungus to grow.
Think the shoes-off rule is crazy? We had a cable technician come to our home last month and we requested that he take his boots off, I happened to notice he had dog poop on the side of the sole-lovely. Not what I'd want tracked all over our home but most don't even think about it. It is even more important when you have small children and babies that crawl around and play on the floor.
8. Eat More Meals Together- Studies show that kids who eat dinner with their parents tend to eat less fried food, drink less soda and consume more veggies and fruit. Those same children also have a higher intake of vitamins and nutrients to, and a lower amount of saturated and trans fats. Beyond the obvious health benefits it also serves as a great way to communicate regularly and stay in the loop of what's happening with your children, making them feel more comfortable to come to you also.
Did anyone read this O Magazine issue? What did you think? Did you learn anything new? Were any of the above tips eye-opening?
Although I don't have a dog I also learned an interesting tip about the importance of buying organic dog foods. Apparently the preservatives in most dog foods are causing cancer. Specifically 50% of dogs over 10 years old are developing this deadly disease.
For a full listing of all 32 tips, you can find them in February 2010's O magazine on newstands now.
Have a healthy day! :)
